Lyla~5 months old

You didn't want to look at me..just interested in the pretty shoes:)

Big smiles for brother pretending to get your feet haha.

5 months old baby girl! It's starting to sink in that it won't be long before your mobile! Going to have to really soak in having one child left that stays where I put you!

Last month was a fun one:) You had your first taste of solid food and we had several opportunities to enjoy some much needed time outdoors!

•Eating: Feb 17th I gave you 2-3 baby bites of fresh avocado I mashed for gaucomoly. You of course made a funny face, but I think you liked it a lot:)

A couple weeks after that starting at the beginning of March I started trying to give  you baby oatmeal or something before bed most nights. 

You still nurse every 2-3 hours all day..and ALL night:/

• You looove to talk. You have the sweetest little voice. Always cooing and 'sighing' haha. Now you have started really screaming or hollering just for the fun of it. I think your trying to keep up with two noisy brothers!

•Not a fan of bottles! You've only had about 5 since birth and you hardly drink from them...you just will hold out till mom is back!

•Still NOT a fan of tummy time either!

•Therefore (not too surprisingly) you have not rolled over again since the middle of February. You really seem to have no interest in trying lol. Luckily, mom is just fine with that for now:) I have figured out once you really start then you don't stop! 

• You mostly love to sit up! You still can't do it completely on your own, but you get more stable everyday. I can now sit you up with your boppy pillow around you(incase you fall). You love having a better view of what's going on!

•Hair has fallen out some and growing back in lighter! Eye color is changing..still bluish..but turning green/hazel like your daddy's I think.

•You are chewing on everything! May just be the start of teething, but everything goes in your mouth.

•I would say your favorite thing is watching your brothers. Mommy can practically stand on her head and sometimes you won't even crack a smile...but as soon as one of your brothers even looks your way you grin!

More pics from the past month:

Eskimo kisses with momma!

Smiles in the car!

Your happy face at 6am the other morning. Mommy was not nearly as cheery!

Your daddy loves you more than you'll ever know!

You with your papa!

And Meems!!!

Mommy/daughter fun!

You are so loved!

Lyla~ 4 months old.

Feb 12th! Four months old today. I also realized that 7 years ago today while hiking in the mountains your daddy proposed to me:)

You have spent the last week of your third month very sick:( However, today you seem to be improving finally! RSV was a nasty bug for my three littles to catch...but praise God your doing better and the boys seems back to their normal selves today!

Tid bits about you from the past month:

•Really starting to grab toys and be more interested in 'play'.

•You can see across a small room now and always smile when we walk in!

•Always trying to sit up!...As in trying to pull yourself forward anytime your just chillin!

•Giving us some good laughs! You are ticklish!

•You are still a big talker. Love to babble!

•Very interested in watching your big brothers now.

•Despite being very sick with RSV and coughing/hacking up a lung practically for a week you have remained surprisingly happy. Still smiling and being sweet!

•You slept with mom or dad in the recliner several nights this past week while sick incase you had a choking fit from coughing! Secretly your daddy and I enjoyed those extra snuggles:)

•You have not gained a lot of weight recently due to being sick, but weighed 12.9 lbs at urgent care the other night and you were 22.5 inches long.

•Last night on Feb 11th you rolled over from your back to your stomach!

•Right after you turned 3 months your sleeping went downhill! All last month you woke up every 2 hrs at night..occasionally every 1 hr..and very rarely making it 3 hours. Needless to say you've made mommy tired! 

•You naps did grow longer though!(Too bad mom chases two little boys while you nap)...they are typically closer to an hour long now. You've napped for 2 hours a couple random times!

• Still brown hair and blue eyes!

Morning sweetie! Always big smiles upon waking up!

One of your big bubba a trying to play with you!

You went to a party with mom/dad few weeks ago and had your first dance;)

The three of us being silly in the photo booth! You covered your face to hide your embarrassment haha.

Your daddy loves you soo much! Two cuties in this pic!

Always smiling at big brother! Can you tell he adores you??!

Just being cute!

The face you give your brothers!! Love it!

Hanging out with mommy cheering on daddy's team...we won't mention who won the game:/

Sleeping beauty a usual!

Another snowy day in the house! Sadly this was last pic before you started getting really sick with RSV:((

Tummy time!

Cutest cousins hanging out! Lyla and Amelia.

One year ago.

So this time last year we just met a precious baby boy. We had limited time to make a big decision and without having any idea what the future would hold we said, "Yes."

All because God said, "Yes."

(This is the first picture I ever saw of sweet little D.)

(My how he has grown!)

(And grown!!)

Valentine's day 2013 is our 'gotcha day' as foster parents call it:) We met D several weeks before that because we had a rare opportunity to babysit or transition D into our home from his previous foster home(while our certification was completed). Valentine's day was just legally the day he was placed into our home!

Therefore the 'holiday' has a whole other special meaning for our family! 

I've been so behind on updating with baby D's case, but having a newborn will do that to you.

Then I read something that describes so much of how I felt during the hard beginning of obedience in this area of our lives and I knew I needed to write.

You see at first we had so many telling us that this wasn't the best plan for our lives or that there was too much risk... But here it is...this is what God asked of us..

"Do Hard Things — most often means doing small, obscure, everyday things.  (Like caring for a child who needs you.)

Just Do Whatever He Tells You."

Then when I told God I couldn't see how this would all end! If it was His will why wasn't it easy!? That there was too much unknown! He told me I didn't need to know all the details...just one foot in front of the other..day by day He would lead.

Here is a quote from Ann Voskamp that describes it perfectly:

"Why would God give you a map — when He wants to give you Himself?

We need the person of God more than we need the plan for our life.

His voice is what you keep listening for….  and the heart of faith is your ear pressed into the heartbeat of His Word.

“This is the way for you — not her way, not their way — but My Way for You.” Stay close enough to the Word to hear your Father’s voice. Do Whatever He Tells You. 

Do whatever’s the next thing. Do whatever He puts in front of you and do it with great love and this is what makes any day, any life, anybody great. Miracles keep happening in the mundane."

Need less to say that since the decision to say "Yes!"  we've been on a roller coaster ride of ups and downs!

Funny how when you come up with your own ideas or plan that God makes sure to remind you that He's in control! When signing on for foster to adopt I had these 'mental plans'. I preferably wanted a child of my own race because that seemed easiest, I also really wanted a girl since we had a son, and I wanted a quick case to a closed adoption. As in I was definitely not going to get involved with my future child's bio family! 

I know go ahead laugh!

Well as you can imagine we were presented with an African American baby boy.

I was also immediately asked to transport him to visits and ended up spending time with his bio mom and some family members every 2 weeks.

Then God asked me to consider an open adoption. So what do we do!?...You just do whatever HE tells you. 

I can now tell you that little baby boy is exactly what our family was missing! I can't imagine if it had played out the way I thought was best. Then the week before he could officially be placed with us I found out I was pregnant. Wouldn't you know though that God blessed our obedience and not only did I get a sweet little boy, but we also were given that little girl I so desired.

Well here we exactly one year later and the roller coaster ride is coming to an end. 

Well really to a new beginning.

 With all that has been happening this week I have not had the opportunity to share some big news!

So here it is! Baby D is officially, legally, available for adoption. His bio mom 'relinquished' her rights at the court hearing this past Monday.

What does that mean exactly for us? Well there is still one hurdle to get past and that is to get a sibling separation approved by the state. It has to be approved for D and his four siblings to be adopted by seperate foster families. It has been submitted, so we have to have a meeting and then wait for it to be approved. However, we are one BIG step closer to keeping D safely part of our family.

Through all of this God has asked more of my patience and trust than ever before and I'm grateful I've had this opportunity despite the pain and fears...because we are undoubtedly changed and for the better.

I shared recently that this has been my life verse lately...

That's exactly what this process has required! Joyful in hope, patience in affliction, and faithful in prayer!!!

I was so upset last spring, summer, and fall when we started meeting delay after delay and couldn't see where this was all going, but that's because I didn't need to at the time. Now I know without all those delays and time that passed we wouldn't have been forced to get to know D's bio mom. 

So yes with this big news for us comes great heartache for others. 

Our gain is undoubtedly someone else's loss.

It's a constant reminder of how broken this world is and of how in need of Jesus some people really are. 

Now I undoubtedly know that's where God is leading us next. If she is willing then we will continue to have contact and hopefully a relationship with his bio mom. There is undeniably a very broken women who I can't just pretend is not there and God has weaved our lives together..whether I was willing or not..and I can only pray that God will use us to show His light in her darkness. Once again I don't even know what this will look like, but I'm thankful God used someone else's words at the right time to remind me that I do not need to know. I just need to do whatever He tells me. 

I'm hanging this in my house to remind my stubborn heart daily!

 

Lyla~ 3 months old

My baby girl is 3 months old today! Craziness!

•You are getting to have such a personality these days! You smile all the time and talk/coo tons!

•Your daddy is convinced you love him most:) He says you always smile the most for him.

•Started to giggle at 11 weeks old. It's the cutest thing ever!

•Officially rolled from your stomach to your back day before turning 13 weeks!You've rolled over two other times, but the surface you were on made it easier...so only once for real!

• Even though I'm usually pretty tired upon waking Mommy's favorite time with you is first thing in the morning. You are always crazy happy with big smiles and I love our mommy/daughter conversations!

• Your brothers love you soo much. It actually surprises me how interested they are in you. Breyton spends a big portion of his day showing you all his toys, what they can do, and telling you crazy stories. Lol D always comes up and pats you on the stomach and can say 'yi-ya' now!

• You are getting little rolls everywhere:) Weighing between 11-12 lbs now. Wearing 0-3 months and starting to fit in all your 3 month stuff right on time!

•Still LOVE baths!

•Your new thing now is sucking on your hand all the time! You still refuse a paci, but love your own little fist..I think your working on finding your thumb:)

•Nursing every 2.5-3 hrs during the day.

• You go to sleep easily listening to nursery music! Naps have become predictably 35-40 min long..and you stay awake about 1hr 15 min-1 hr 30 between them.

•At night you go to sleep around 8:30-9:15. Waking for the first time about 1 and then again around 4:30/5 then for the day at 7:30/8.(well this was the norm until last night:/ You woke up lots, but hoping that was a fluke!)

• Still brown hair and dark blue eyes. Eyes are starting to change though I think!

More pics from the past month:

Big smile!

Pretty girl at church! We left you in nursery for the first time at 12 weeks. Just through Sunday school we had to come get you before big service...you did great, but we missed you! Baby steps:)

Happy, happy!

Mohawk baby!

Sleeping peacefully on mom!

Hanging out with daddy!

Big grin!